Can packaging machine



Jan. 5, 1960 E. L. ARNEsoN CAN PACKAGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed sept. 1s, 1957 INVENTOR.

Jan. 5, 1960 E. L.. /lmNEsoNl CAN PACKAGING Mmmm 4 sheets-sheet z Filed Sept. 115,l 1957 2 W s W@ Q M i my@ QN f Q I w QS 1@ AJR, Q, IMI www@ wm QQ NS MQ 4T 4T Jan. 5, 1960 E. L.. ARNEsoN CAN PACKAGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet C5 Filed Sept. 13, 1957 INVENTOR. Zwzlvzeof, w( BY )7m/WV Jam.- 5, A1960 E. L. ARNl-:soN

' CAN PACKAGING MACHINE Filed sept. 15, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 l INVENTOR. Edu/ml. fvzeoz,

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United States l 2,919,526 CAN PACKAGING MACHINE Edwin L. Arneson, Morris, Ill., assignor to Federal .Paper Board Company, Inc., Bogota, NJ., a corporation of New York Application September 13, 1957, Serial No. 683,798

4- Claims. (Cl. 53-59) charge end of a vertically extending magazine containing a supply of cans or other cylindrical articles, where a .plurality of the articles in single row forming relation are deposited on a side wall forming member of each wrapper blank and mechanism for thereafter progressively folding adjoining wall forming members of each wrapper intoarticle engagingrelation whereby to enclose the 'articles in the Wrapper and form a package.

It is a more specic object of the invention to provide an apparatus for enclosing in a foldable paperboard blank a single row of cans or similar articles wherein the wrapper blank is adapted to be supplied in opened out unfolded condition with creaselines separating the same into a plurality of hingedly connected wall forming panels, which apparatus comprises an endless chain conveyor supported on spaced end sprockets and adapted to advance successive wrapper blanks which are placed thereon to an article feeding station, a magazine at the article feeding station in which a supply of the articles are received and fed by gravity to a discharge opening at the bottom thereof, an article feeding wheel at the discharge opening of the magazine for delivering the articles onto the successive wrappers as the latter are moved into position at the feeding station, guide members for holding the articles in alignedrow forming relation as they are advanced by the conveyor, plow members associated with the conveyor beyond the article feeding wheel which .are adapted to engage laterally projecting end portions of the wrappers and progressively fold the same into end and side wall forming relation with the articles positioned thereon, and ymechanismy for operating the conveyor and the article feeding wheel in timed relation.

^ These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the apparatus which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein: -Figure l is a side elevation of a machine for assembling groups of cans or other articles of like shape on successive wrapper blanks and for thereafter folding the end portions of the blanks into engagement with portions of the articles positioned thereon;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine; Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of i Figure 2, to an enlarged scale, and with portions broken away; l

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 of ,i Figure 2,'to an enlarged scale;

Figure 5 is a side-elevation of a rear end portion of ifa modified form of the machine which is provided with mechanism for automatically feeding wrapper blanks to 2,919,526 Patented Jan. 5., 1960 2 the upper run of the blank supporting and advancing conveyor;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a typical wrapper member which is adapted to be employed with the machine; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the completed package which is produced with the machine.

The machine which is illustrated in Figures l to 4 is particularly adapted for packaging a series or group of generally cylindrical articles, such as cans of food,v beverage, or other mechandise of cylindrical outline, in an open ended container or wrapper formed by folding a blank of paperboard or similar sheet material about the articles.

A typical form of multiple unit can package, which is adapted to be produced on the machine, is illustrated in Figure 7. The package comprises a group of three cans 10 arranged in single row formation and enclosed in a tubular wrapper or container which is formed from the blank 11 illustrated in Figure 6l. The machine is, of course, not limited to the production 'of the package shown in Figure 7 but other packages of a similar nature may be formed thereon.

The wrapper or carton forming blank 11 is initially supplied to the machine in the flat opened out condition as illustrated in Figure 6, with the blank being cut and scored to provide a rectangular central panel 12 which is adapted to form the vertical side wall in the completed package (Figure 7), adjoining panels 13 and 14 of lesser width which are adapted to form the top and bottom walls of the completed package, and an end panel 15 adjoining the top wall forming panel 13'which is adapted to form the other side wall of the package. A glue tab 16 adjoins the bottom wall forming panel 14. The respective wall forming panels are separated from each other by longitudinally spaced parallel transverse crease lines 17, 18 and 19 While the glue tab 16 is separated from the bottom wall forming panel 14 by the transverse crease line 20. The crease lines 17, 18, 19 and 20 form hinged corner connections between the Wall panels. The crease lines 17, 18, 19 and 20 are interrupted by C-shaped cuts 21 which are spaced transversely of the blank in accordance with the spacing of the cans 10 and which are arranged to form aligned pairs of apertures 22 in the top and bottom edges of the side wall forming panels 12 and 15 for receiving oppositely disposed portions of the chines of each can at each end thereof, the wrapper being folded tightly around the cans so that the chine portions are seated in the apertures 22 and the cans are securely held in the wrapper. The end panel 15 is provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive along its end margin as indicated at 23 for securing the same to the glue Hap 16.

The machine 30 comprises an upright rectangular supportmg structure which includes corner posts or legs 31, laterally spaced top side rails 32 and 33, which connect longitudinally spaced pairs of the posts, longitudinally spaced top cross braces 34, laterally spaced bottom side rails 35 and 36, and bottom cross rails 37. A double chain conveyor 38 is mounted in longitudinally extending relation on the frame structure. It is supported on pairs of end sprockets 39 and 40 which are mounted in axially spaced relation on cross shafts 41 and 42, the latter being mounted in suitable bearings and extending between the top side rails 32 and 33. The conveyor 38 has its upper run supported in a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending angle Imembers 43 arranged to form oppositely facing guide rails which have their lower horizontal legs secured on the cross braces or bars 34, the latter being spaced longitudinally of the machine. The conveyor 38 comprises two identical chains 44 which carry upstanding lugs or ngers 45, the latter being in transversely aligned pairs which are adapted to engage with the rear or trailing edges of successive carton or wrapper blanks 11, for advancing the same through the machine. The conveyor 38 is driven by a motor reduction unit 46 which is supported between the side rails 35 and 36 on the lower -portion of the frame and which has its power output pulley 47 connected by a drive belt 48 with a coope-rating pulley 50 on the cross shaft 42.

A tray-like support 51 for a plurality of the blanks 10 is arranged at one end of the machine and supported by a brace member 52 extending diagonally upwardly of the supporting structure and adjustably connected to the frame. The blanks 11 are fed manually on to the upper run of the conveyor 38 and are held on the traveling chains 44 by a retainer bar 53 which is connected to the lower end of a depending support rod 54, the latter being mounted for vertical adjustment in bracket 55 extending horizontally from the top cross plate 56 of an inverted U-shaped support frame 57 which is arranged transversely of the machine with its depending legs secured at the lower ends to the side rails 32 and 33. The hold down bar or strip 53 is curved upwardly at the trailing end to permit the blanks 10 to be inserted between the same and the conveyor chains 44.

The cans 10 are fed to the machine by means of a vertically inclined chute 58 which may comprise two laterally spaced channel members 59 arranged with their open sides in opposed spaced relation to receive between them a supply of the cans 10 in side wall engaging relation and with the long axis thereof extending transversely of the machine. The side channel members 59 forming the feed chute or magazine S are secured on the top cross plate 56 of the support frame 57 by means of a pair of upright brackets 60. The lower ends of the channels 59 forming the chute `58 are curved forwardly to provide a forwardly extending opening at 61 which faces in the direction of the advance of the blanks on the conveyor 38.

The cans advance in the feed chute 58 by gravity through the discharge opening 61 and a star wheel 62 is arranged at the lower end of the chute 58 adjacent the opening 61 `to control the feed of the cans 10 onto the blanks 11 as the latter are advanced by the conveyor 38 beneath the discharge opening 61. The star wheel 62 comprises a pair of axially spaced plates 63 on a supporting shaft 64 and having edge recesses 65 for engagement with the cans 10. The shaft 64 is supported in a hub formation 66 extending rearwardly of a bracket 67 which is secured to the vertical edge of a top bar or plate 68 of an inverted U-shaped cross frame 7G which extends transversely of the machine and which has the lower ends of its depending legs secured to the side rail members 32 and 33. The shaft 64 also carries an indexing disc 71 between the plates 63 and a cooperating dog 72 is pivotally mounted at 73 on the bracket 67. The other end of the dog 73 is pivoted at 74 to the lower end of a solenoid arm 75. The arm 75 depends from the solenoid 76 which is mounted on the cross'plate 68 and which carries a compression spring 77, the latter extending between a forked leg of an angle bracket member 78 which is secured to the solenoid 76 and a collar 80 on the arm 75. The spring 77 urges the dog 72 in a clockwise direction about its pivot 73 tending to hold the end of the dog 72 in engagement with the indexing plate 71 and preventing rotation of the star wheel 62 until the solenoid 76 is operated to swing the dog 72 counterclockwise and disengage the indexing plate which permits gravity feed of a predetermined number of cans 10 past the star wheel 62. The solenoid 76 is secured on the cross frame plate 68 by an angle bracket 81 and its operation is controlled by the switch 82 which is mounted on a bracket forming rod 83 depending from a supporting bracket 84 secured on the top rail 56 of the cross frame member 57. The switch 82 has an operating finger S5 in the path of the blanks 11 which is engaged by each successive blank to v operate the switch 82 and the latter in turn operates the solenoid 76 to release the dog 72 from the index plate 71 and allow the cans to feed onto the blank as it arrives beneath the star wheel 62. In the absence of a blank the solenoid 76 is not operated and the star wheel 62 is held against rotation which prevents feed of the cans.

The cans 10 are held in alignment as they leave the chute 58 by laterally spaced side guide bars 86 which are attached to the lower ends of a pair of depending bracket rods 87, the latter being adjustably secured in bracket members 88 attached to the top cross plate 68 of the cross frame 70. The side guide bars 86 are laterally spaced the proper distances to engage with the ends of the cans 10. The cans 10 are held in row forming relation as they are advanced by the conveyor 38 by a top guide bar 90 which is secured on the lower end of a depending bracket rod 91 which is adjustably supported in a bracket 92 attached to the top plate 68 of the cross frame 70, the guide bar 90 extending lengthwise of the machine and being adjusted so that it is spaced above the chains 44 a suflicient distance to accommodate the cans 10 in single row formation.

The wrapper blank 11 is folded, as it is advanced by the conveyor, on the crease lines 17, 18, 19 and 20 about a row of cans 10 by means of a series of plow imembers. The plow members comprise a pair of laterally spaced narrow bent plate members or bars 93 which are attached to upstanding laterally spaced bracket plates 94 secured to the vertical flanges of a pair of angle brackets 95, with the latter having their horizontal flanges adjustably secured by bolt and slot connections 96 to a cross brace 34 extending between the side rails 32 and 33. The plow forming members 93 have their trailing ends extending below the horizontal plane in which the side wall forming panels 12 rand 15 of the blank 11 are traveling as the respective blanks are advanced with the cans 10 by the conveyor 38 between the plow members. The upper blank engaging surfaces of the plow members 93 gradually turn from horizontal to vertical as the cans move between the vertical support plates 94 so that the end portions of the blanks 11 which extend beyond the ends of the cans 10 are folded into vertical planes about the crease lines 18 and 19 bringing the top and bottom forming panels 13 and 14 into engagement with the ends of the cans.

The glue ap 16 and the side wall panel 15 are folded over the uppermost side wall portions of the cans by a pair of plow members 97 and 98. The plow member 97 which folds the glue flap 16 inwardly and downwardly at one end of the blank 11 is attached to the lower end of a depending support rod 100 which is supported for vertical adjustment in a bracket 101 attached to the top cross plate 102 of an inverted U-shaped cross frame 103 which has the lower ends of its side legs secured to the side rails 32 and 33. The plow member 98 which folds the side wall forming panel 15 at the other end of the blank 11 inwardly and downwardly is attached to the lower end of a depending supporting rod 104 which is mounted for vertical adjustment in a bracket 105 attached to the top plate 102 of the cross frame 103.

The plow member 98 extends at its leading end in a horizontal plane above the path of movement 0f the cans as they are advanced beyond the same by the conveyor 38 to a pressing roller 106 which is mounted on a cross shaft 107 extending between bearing members 108 which are supported on blocks 110 on the side rails 32 and 33 of the main frame at the discharge end of the machine. The plow 98 holds the side wall forming panel 15 and the glue Hap 16 in engaged relation until the package is engaged by the pressing roller 106. Laterally spaced side guide rails 111 extend from the vertical side plates 94 to the end of the machine being supported on the upright plates 94 and on angle brackets 112 ad` f'justably mounted on a cross brace 34 by bolt and Slot `connections 113.. The vcompleted packages are delivered by the conveyor 38 to a discharge conveyor 120`at the end of the machine.

In operation, the chute 58 is loaded with cans 10 and the conveyor 38 is placed in operation with the tray 51 having a supply of blanks 11 and the operator in position to feed individual blanks to the conveyor 38. As the blanks 11 are advanced by the conveyor 38 the trip Aarm 85 of the switch 82 is operated which actuates the solenoid 76 and releases the star wheel 62 to permit the feed of the required number of cans to fill the blank 11. The blank 11 with the cans 10 in row forming relation thereon is advanced, by engagement of the conveyor lugs 45 with the trailing edge of the blank and .the side of the end can, past the plows 93, 97 and 98 ywhich fold over successively the end wall and side wall Apanels bringing the marginal edge of the top side wall panel v into overlapping engagement with the glue flap 16 and forming the blank 11 into a tubular container :about thev row of cans. The folded wrapper with the 4enclosed cans is advanced to the pressing roller 106 which applies pressure to the overlapped portions of the panel 15 and the glue aps 16 to complete the formation of the package.

A modified form of the apparatus is illustrated in Figure 5 in which an automatic blank feeding mechanism is incorporated in the machine. In this form of =the machine the blanks 11 are supported on a tray 130 uat-the end of the machine with the blanks in shingled relation on the tilted surface of the tray. The tray 130 is supported by bracket arms 131 projecting upwardly and rearwardly of the main frame of the machine and adjustably supported thereon. A blank feeding roller v132 is supported on a cross shaft 133 which is mounted .in bearing members 134 supported on the side rails of ythe main frame of the machine. The roller 132 has a rubber feed pad 135 on its peripheral surface for engaging successive blanks and is driven by means of a chain 136 engaging with the sprocket 137 on the cross shaft 133, the chain 136 being driven by suitable connection with the power drive at the other end of the machine.y A blank retarding pad member 138 is pivot- `rally mounted at 139 on a bracket member 140 which is .adjustable on a shaft 141 supported on a bracket plate member 142 extending from the main frame 0f the machine. An adjusting screw 143 is provided on the mem- `ber 140 for adjusting the tilt of the member 138. A

rubber back up wheel 144 is mounted beneath the feedl wheel 132 on a frame 145 which is pivoted at 146 to a bracket 147 adjustably supported on a cross shaft 148. A pin 150 extends from a supporting arm 151 on the bracket 147 to a socket forming aperture in a side arm of the frame 145 and carries a compression spring 152 which resiliently urges the roller 144 against the feed roller 132.

In operating the modified form of the machine the roller 132 is driven in timed relation to the movement of the conveyor 153 and feeds the blanks 11 successively from the tray 130 to the top run of the conveyor 153 where they are picked up by the fingers or lugs 154 carried by the latter and advanced through the machine in the same manner as in the manually fed form of the machine.

The remainder of the modified machine is identical with the form of the machine shown in Figures l to 4 and operates in the same manner.

While specific materials and particular details of construction are referred to in describing the illustrated forms of the machine, it will be understood that other materials and different structural details may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. A machine for forming a package which is charac- 'terized by a group of generally cylindrical articles ar- 6 ranged in row forming relation and enclosed in a -paperboard wrapper, said machine comprising a supporting frame structure, an endless conveyor mounted on end supporting members carried at opposite ends of said frame structure and having an upper run thereof positioned to travel in a generally horizontal path, said conveyor having means for engaging and advancing successive wrapper blanks which are delivered in opened out upwardly facing condition at one end thereof, a generally vertical article supply magazine supported above said conveyor, and a feed wheel mounted for free rotation on a transverse axis adjacent the top run of said conveyor and the bottom of said magazine for feeding articles from the magazine onto successive wrappers as the latter are advanced by the conveyor beneath said feed wheel, an indexing disc rotatable with said feed wheel, a pivoted dog mounted for cooperation with said disc to normally hold said feed wheel 'against rotation, and control means for said dog operated by passage of each successive wrapper to release said dog and permit rotation of said feed wheel to deposit a predetermined number of articles in side-by- .side relation on each wrapper, means to hold said articles `in position on said wrapper as the wrapper and articles are advanced by said conveyor, and folder members supported along opposite sides of the conveyor in position to engage with projecting ends of the wrapper blanks and fold the end portions thereof upwardly and inwardly into engagement with the ends and sides of the articles, thereby enclosing the articles in the wrappers.

2. In a machine for packaging cylindrical objects such as cans in a single row in a paperboard wrapper, an endless conveyor provided with pairs of laterally aligned lugs lalong its sides, said conveyor having a horizontally dis'- posed stretch on which the wrappers in at condition are received and carried forwardly by the engagement of the `rear edges ofthe wrappers with the lugs, a gravity chute of transversely elongated cross section above the con- Yveyor in which a supply of the objectsare guidingly confined for movement downwardly under gravity in a single row in horizontal side-to-side contact with each other, said chute being provided adjacent the conveyor with a guide portion which is curved and disposed in generally tangential relation to the conveyor for directing the objects on their sides onto the wrappers on the conveyor in the direction of travel of the latter, and the chute being open on the side thereof which faces the direction of travel .of the conveyor, a star wheel rotatably mounted in a vertical position on a horizontal axis which is in generally concentric relation to the curved guide portion of the chute, said star wheel being provided with peripherally spaced projections which form between them pockets in which the objects are individually received from the chute.

and guided downward and forward in an arc onto the wrappers, indexing means connected to said star wheel and rotatable therewith, a member movably mounted adjacent said star Wheel which normally engages said indexing means and holds said star wheel against rotation, movement control means operated by passage of each successive wrapper for disengaging said movably mounted member and said indexing means, whereby said star wheel will deposit on each wrapper a plurality of the objects in a row in side-by-side engagement with each other, the last of the objects to be deposited on each of the wrappers being engaged by the pair of lugs which are in engagement with the underlying wrapper whereby to cause the wrapper and the row of objects on the same to move forwardly together, means for preventing the objects in the row from separating from each other as they move forwardly on their sides, means for bringing the wrapper first against the ends of the objects and then over the upper sides of the objects and into overlapped relation as the conveyor advances the objects and the wrapper, and means for sealing the overlapped parts of wrappers together as the conveyor continues to carry the wrapped row of objects forwardly.

3. A machine for forming ya lpackage which is characterized by a single row of cylindrical articles, such as cans, enclosed in a paper board wrapper, the wrapper being divided into hingedly connected side and end wall forming panels, said machine comprising an upright frame, an endless conveyor mounted on end supporting members carried on said frame, means supporting the upper run yof the conveyor for travel in a'generally horizontal path, means on said conveyor for engaging and advancing `successive wrapper blanks which are delivered thereto in opened out outwardly facing condition at one end thereof, an upwardly extending chute supported adjacent the upper run of the conveyor and shaped to accommodate a supply of the articles in single yrow side-by-side relation and to permit downward movement thereof by gravity, the lower end of said chute being curved and disposed in generally tangential relation to the path of movement of the conveyor, a star wheel arranged for rotation on a transverse axis adjacent the lower end of the chute and having peripheral pockets in which the articles are received as they move downwardly in the chute and onto successive wrapper blanks carried on the conveyor beneath the curved lower end of the chute, said star wheel being mounted for free rotation, an indexing member rotatable with said star wheel, a movable member mounted adjacent said star wheel and normally engaging said indexing member to hold said star wheel against rotation, and control means for said movable member which is operated by passage of each successive wrapper to disengage said movable member and said indexing member thereby permitting rotation of said star wheel for deposit of a predetermined number of articles in row forming relation on `each wrapper, means for guiding the row of articles and holding the ysame lin row forming relation as the articles and wrappers are advanced by said conveyor, and folder members supported along opposite sides of the conveyor in position to engage vwith projecting ends of the wrapper blanks and fold the end portions thereof into engagement with the ends and sides of the articles, thereby enclosing the articles in the wrappers.

4. In a machine for packaging cylindrical objects such as cans in a single row in a paperboard wrapper, an endless conveyor provided with pairs of laterally aligned lugs along its sides, said conveyor having a horizontally disposed upper run on which the wrappers in at condition are received' and carried forwardly by the engagement of the rear edges ofthe wrappers with the lugs, a gravity chute of transversely elongated cross section above the conveyor in which va supply of the objects are guidingly confined for movement downwardly under gravity in a single row and in side-to-side contact with each other, said chute being provided at its lower end with a guide portion which is curved and disposed in generally tangential relation to the upper run of the conveyor for directing the kobjects on their sides onto the wrappers on the conveyor in the direction of travel -of the latter, and the chute having a discharge opening on the side thereof which faces the direction of travel of the conveyor,la star wheel rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis in generally concentric relation to the curved guide portion of the chute, said star wheel being provided with peripheral pocket formations in which the objects are individually received from the chute and guided downward and forward in an arc onto the wrappers, indexing means connected to said star wheel and rotatable therewith, solenoid operated means `movable into and out of engagement with said indexing means to hold said star wheel against rotation, a switch control means for the solenoid which is actuated by movement of successive wrappers to article receiving position beneath said star wheel whereby said Vstar wheel is operated -to deposit on successive wrappers a.

predetermined number of the objects in a row in side-byside engagement with each other, the last of the objects lto be deposited on eachof the wrappers being engaged by the pair of lugs which are in engagement with the underlying wrapper whereby to canse the wrapper and the row of objects on the same to move forwardly together, longitudinally extending side and top guide bars adjustably mounted along the conveyor for holding the objects in row `forming alignment as they are carried forward .on the wrapper, and -folder members for engaging projecting end portions of the wrapper to bring the same into engagement with the ends and upper sides of the row of objects and to-position marginal portions of the wrapper in overlapped seam forming relation.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,351,596 Brogden June 20, 1944 2,603,923 Chidsey July 22, 1952 2,677,221 Currie May 4, 1954 2,728,177 Holstebroe Dec. 27, 1955 2,817,196 IRingler Dec. 24, 1957 2,817,197 Anness Dec. 24, 1957 

